Ethics panel fines labor union, three lobbyists

The San Diego Ethics Commission has levied fines totaling $5,000 against a labor union and three lobbying groups for not properly disclose their activities at City Hall.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569 received a $3,000 fine for failing to timely disclose roughly $10,600 it spent last fall on behalf of Democratic candidate Howard Wayne’s failed bid for City Council, a seat that went to Republican Lorie Zapf. Two expenditures were never reported and a third was three days late.

A $1,000 fine was levied against Gerding Edlen, the Portland, Ore.-based developer that sought to build a new $293 million City Hall in downtown San Diego, for disclosing its lobbying activity from July through September a month later than the required deadline. This was the developer’s third such violation, resulting in a larger fine than is typical.

The City Hall project, which would have replaced the current version built in 1965, was abandoned by city leaders late last year as they focused their efforts on a proposed sales tax increase, which voters rejected in November. There are no plans to resuscitate the project despite widespread agreement that the existing structure is inefficient and requires millions in repairs.

Two other lobbying organizations — Unite Here Local 30, a hotel workers’ union, and the Ronald L. Buckley Consulting firm, which represents various clients on development issues — were each fined $500 for late lobbyist disclosure forms as well.

“The timely disclosure of lobbying and campaign activity is the fundamental core of the city’s governmental ethics laws,” said Stacey Fulhorst, the Ethics Commission’s executive director. “As a result, even routine late filings necessitate a penalty.”

The commission unanimously approved the fines at a Thursday night hearing. Each party had agreed to the fines ahead of time.